About The Vo

The Vo is a 3 piece rap group formed in Yakima, Washington in September of 2015 with current members Oliver Woodall, Derek Gibson, and Brison Dolezal, and former member(s) Jacob Luten. Stuck in the middle of Seattle and Portland, in a small town filled with crime, corruption (Time Magazine named Yakima the 2nd most terrifying city of which to live in 2014) and boredom for the younger generation, known more for harvesting fruit and grand theft auto than cultivating any type of music scene, "The Vo" was born. The name of the group came from member Oliver Woodall's first car, a 1989 Volvo 240 DL (hence The "Vo"). The majority of the vocal tracks for the first Self-Titled EP released by the group were actually recorded in this particular car.

The inspiration that created this group was the movie "Straight Outta Compton" (2015) when the members Derek Gibson, Oliver Woodall, and past member Jacob Luten were just 17 years old. The intensity of the film along with the rebellious nature of the basis of the film, the rap group N.W.A., sparked the abrupt beginnings of the group. Along with N.W.A, The Vo also has many other influences, including Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Hopsin, Tyler, the Creator, Wu Tang Clan, The Beastie Boys and other genre splitting artists of which are influences in different ways, such as Nirvana, Tame Impala, Sublime, Weezer, James Brown, Parliament, Charles Mingus, along with countless others.

The Vo specifically sounds like teenage angst poetically spat out of the ever so wandering minds of three kids from a struggling city, layered on top of everything from jazz influenced "story-time" instrumentals to abrasive kicks and snares that punch their way into the listener's ears.

Current member Brison Dolezal joined the band in late September of 2016 to replace Luten as the third member of the group, just as the group was beginning to work on their debut LP "Agenda 21".

When it comes down to it, there's nothing else we would rather be doing than not only making music, but making music our lives.